Economic Nationalism during the Period of Field Marshal Pibunsongkhram and the Revival of Tanning Industry by the Government in the Post-World War II Era

Abstract

This article aims to study the concept of economic nationalism during the time of Field Marshal P. Phibunsongkhram through a case study of the Thai tanning industry after World War II. That period was a turning point in the economic policy shift from the war to the post-war period. It became an important question for the government from 1944 - 1947, which came after the end of the first period of Field Marshal P. Phibunsongkhram’s rule (1938 - 1944). Monopolistic nationalism would continue to lead the state to direct the economy, as it had during the war where the outcome was not as expected. The alternative was to change to a liberal capitalist policy. During this time, the government's policy towards the tanning industry was restructured as a trading company. Until the return to power of Field Marshal P. Phibunsongkhram after the coup d'état in 1947, external factors and contexts persuaded and pushed the Thai state to embrace liberal capitalism from the West. However, industrial economic policies during the second phase of Field Marshal P. Phibunsongkhram’s rule were still unable to escape the concept of economic nationalism that aimed to dominate the domestic industry, while it was open to funding from the liberal capitalist side, therefore looking like a hybrid policy.  Consequently, the researcher wants to propose that at that time, the liberal nationalist economic policy was adopted and continued until the end of 1947. Additionally, the government also attempted to revive the tanning industry by state intervention during the second phase of Field Marshal P. Phibunsongkhram’s rule.